Cutting the Cable Cord
Nigel C. Stewart
IT 103-004
| Title Page | Introduction | Alternatives to Cable | Why Drop Cable? | Legal and Ethical Issues | Security Issues | Social Issues | Conclusion | Works Cited |
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Legal and Ethical Issues
There are also several ways to ‘cheat the system’ via streaming and online media. One of the easier ways is by sharing subscriptions. Netflix and Hulu offer customers subscriptions that can stream on multiple devices at a time. Although the intent was to make it easier to go from one room to the next and continue watching a show (like a traditional cable set-up), customers have taken advantage of the multiple device option. They share login information with friends and family at different locations, essentially cutting their per capita subscription cost in half or more. These actions, though not technically illegal in most state, can have consequences. A recent Tennessee law criminalizes sharing Netflix and other entertainment subscription services in the same category as stealing cable TV. Netflix's own Terms of Use acknowledges that users will share their passwords. However, all liability for shared use is back to the account owner. If Netflix does decide that a borrower violates the Terms of Use, the owner will be the one paying (Hamburger, 2011). A larger issue to arise is the increase in video piracy as a way to circumvent cable costs. This is perhaps exacerbated by the increase in home internet speeds. Most television shows and films are available for illegal download within hours of airing/viewing on peer-to-peer sites. Illegal streaming of live pay-per-view and out-of-market events are available with an internet search. The value of illegally downloaded copies of one film can equal 10s of millions of dollars. “The Hobbit” and “Django Unchained were each illegally downloaded from piracy sites more than 8 million times in 2013. “Fast & Furious 6” was a close third, with 7.9 million downloads (Busis, 2014). These movies are rented for $1-3 and sold for $10.00 or more in theatre and DVD stores. Video piracy potentially costs billions of dollars every year. Punishment of copyright infringement varies from case to case and country to country, but a conviction could include jail time and severe fines for each separate instance of copyright infringement. Here in the United States, fins for copyright infringement can carry a fine up to $150,000 per instance, according to the U.S. Copyright Office website (2014).